For aircraft, vehicle control events are recorded and stored in a "black box" that is typically accessed when an accident occurs and is used to determine the cause of the accident. The "black box" is an airline cockpit voice data recorder that records verbal events. This type of recording device has been shown to be extremely useful in determining whether operator error or mechanical failure was the cause of the accident.
For automotive vehicles, however, no authenticated control event recorder has been developed for the purpose of analyzing and evaluating accident claims. When vehicles collide with one another, or are involved in accidents individually, there is no method currently available to determine the sequence of control events performed by the operator before, during and after the occurrence of the accident. Typically police require a report of the accident, but such a report generally relies upon the memories of the operators involved in the accident and any witnesses to the accident. In addition to an investigation by the police, insurance companies for the vehicle or vehicles involved may interview the operator or operators and witnesses to the accident. Often no factual identification of the operator at fault may be determined by the police or the insurance companies.
Thus there is a need for a method and device for authenticating and securing control event data for a vehicle.